Cat Eyes
by Saiyaness28
Summary: Inspired by my love of cats and my Irish blood. This is a classic retailing of the story of Beauty and the Beast with my own little twists. Pregnant, a girl flees her home and finds heself in a castle over run with cats whose master is more cat than man.
1. Chapter 1: Many Eyes

Cat Eyes

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Chapter 1: Many Eyes

**(Word from Author: This story takes place in Ireland. All names are traditional Irish names which I had to look up. Please forgive any language discrepancies. Thank you and please leave a review1)**

The girl staggered through the blinding wind and rain, one hand clutching her swollen belly, the other clawing at the thick twisted branches of the trees that knit closely together in this dense forest she had wandered into. How tired she was. She just wanted to lie down for a while, someplace warm and safe, but there was nowhere like that here, in this dark maze of trees. That is, that was what she had believed. Suddenly, without warning or reason the relentless rain and wind, stopped. The girl's eyes popped open in her shock, and gazed around what appeared to be a clearing. She found herself standing at the base of a hill, at the top of the hill loomed a black stone castle, it's gate wide open. The girl looked back at the forest, she'd just come out of. Her mind reeled from the site that met her icy blue eyes. As soon as the trees began, so did the storm, but here near the mysterious castle, the skies were clear. It was as if, this place existed in a world all it's own.

"How strange." The girl, whispered to herself. Regardless of her fears, she had little choice but to approach the strange fortress. It was either that or the unforgiving forest and she had her unborn child to think about. She passed through the gate and entered the courtyard. She marveled as the copper stones that paved the ground and the beautiful fountain that spewed crystal water from an angel's lips. The courtyard was scattered with exquisite statues, around them all, spiraled blood red roses, their petals opening into hand sized tea cup shapes. She wandered around the courtyard in complete awe, for this simple red haired farm girl, had never seen such grandeur

Little did she know, a pair of large green eyes watched her from the castle tower. "Abban, show her the way in." Boomed a deep, gravely voice. "Yes, My Lord." The boy answered and ran straight away to the courtyard.

"Meerow!"

The girl jumped at the sharp cry. She spun around and discovered a little silver tabby cat sitting at her feet. "Where in the world did you come from?" She asked small tom cat. He blinked up at her with round yellow eyes, cocking his head curiously to the side. "Can you show me the way inside?", she asked, carefully crouching down to scratch the cat's head.

"Meer! Meerow!" The cat grumbled and bounded towards the far end of the courtyard.

"Wait for me!" The girl cried, walking quickly after the tabby. The cat waited patiently for her to catch up, before leading her to the massive door, hidden beneath a nest of spiraling vines. Feeling around on the door, she was able to locate a heavy iron ring. She tugged as hard as she could, and to her astonishment, the door opened easily.

She and the tabby walked inside the castle. The room was pitch black, except for the fire that blazed from the hearth. The cat rubbed against her legs, purring happily. "Do you think your master will mind if I stay here until the storm passes?" She asked him.

He looked up at her with a wide cat grin, "Reow," he said, then scurried away into the shadows.

"Hello!" she called, moving slowly towards a staircase. "Anyone home?!" As if in answer, a chorus of meows echoed through the room. From the shadows that surrounded her, beamed many cat eyes, perhaps hundreds. They glowed in the firelight like little mirrors. The girl stared at them, with wide eyes. Never in her life, had she seen, and yet not seen, so many cats. She could see nothing but their eyes in the darkness, their voices echoing like ghostly wails in the great castle. Gripping, her belly in fear, she began to back away from the hoard of cats, until she bumped into something very large, hard and breathing.

"Do not fear them. They will not harm you." Growled a ground shaking voice. The girl gasped and staggered away from the being that had suddenly appeared at the base of the stair case. He was very large. Over seven feet tall and broad shouldered. He wore all black, a black cape hung down to the floor and a hood was pulled over his head, hiding his face in darkness, which not even the fire light could piece. He was like a living shadow, a wall of black. The only feature she could clearly make out was the wide, green eyes with slit pupils, cat's eyes, that stabbed at her like daggers from beneath the hood. "Do not look at my face!" The shadow hissed.

His voice sent a shiver down the young girl's spine. "I-I'm sorry." She stuttered, jerking her face away, so she would not anger him further.

She flinched with each heavy footstep as he drew closer. She attempted to back further away from him, but realized at the screaming of one cat after she'd stepped on his paws, that all of the cats had swarmed around them, creating a wall around she and the impossibly large man with the cat-like eyes. She had nowhere to run.

"What are you doing here? What brings you to my castle?" The man asked, his strange vibrating voice, softening.

She rubbed her rounded stomach in thought, "I…was on my way to the nunnery in the next town east of my village, but I got lost in the storm and wandered into that horrible forest. Somehow I was able to find this place. I am very sorry for intruding. I just…wanted a place to rest."

"You should not be traveling at all in your condition." The beastly man grumbled.

"I had no choice, sir." she said, her eyes beginning to shimmer.

"Why? What gave you no choice?" He asked, his hooded head, tilting slightly.

"I have brought shame to my family. I love them and I don't want to bring them unhappiness." She said, a tear streaked down her cheek. She wiped her tears away on her sleeve and turned towards the door. "If you will call off your cats, I will leave. I don't wish to bother you, sir." She sniffled.

"No." The man grumbled. "You may stay here, if you wish, if you don't mind my servants." He said, motioning to the sea of mirror eyes.

She looked around at all the cats, then up at the towering figure before her. Even though she dared not look into his bright eyes again, she could feel his gaze on her, watching her in anticipation. "I don't mind them at all. Thank you sir. You're too kind." She smiled at his chest.

"What is your name?" He asked, turning slightly towards the staircase.

"Aeveen, sir" She answered, still smiling brightly.

"Roisin, take Aeveen to her room in the eastern wing." He ordered.

Immediately, a lovely calico feline approached from the crowd of gleaming eyes.

"Meerph!" The calico huffed, flicking her tail from side to side in the air.

"Fallow her, she knows where to take you. If you need anything, just tell Roisin and she will take care of it for you. She will be your personal servant while you are here." The man said, then began to climb the stairs, his feet falling like bricks on the wooden stairs.

Just as the master of the castle had said, Roisin knew exactly where to go. She led Aeveen to a beautiful room in the eastern wing of the castle. It was a room fit for royalty. A beautiful bed carved from the best wood, rich silk and satin tapestries and fabrics, and pillows stuffed with swan feathers. It was all perfect. Aeveen gasped at the shier beauty of her new room.

"Meowreow!" Roisin said, as if to ask her what she thought of it.

"It's gorgeous!" Aeveen gasped, admiring the painting of chubby cherub angles flying through heaven that hung over her bed.

Roisin yawned, her mouth opening wide to show off her pointed teeth and her pretty golden eyes squinting into slits. She stretched out her front legs, then pranced towards the door.

"Oh, please, tell your master, that I said thank you for this magnificent room." Aeveen giggled, waving goodbye to her little servant.

As soon as she left Aeveen, Roisin reported back to her master.

"How does she like the room?" He asked as he stood before his bedroom window, gazing out at the wall of thick forest that surrounded his castle.

"She loves it, Master. She said it was magnificent!" Roisin giggled in a teenaged girl's enthusiastic voice. "She is very grateful to you, My Lord." She added with a little teasing laugh. "We'll soon be rid of our curse! I can feel it! She'll be the one!" She said, her tail thrashing around excitedly.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, Roisin. She has not seen, the Lord enshrouded yet, remember? Besides, she is with child. She may already be married or have a lover. The child must have a father somewhere."

"Oh, poo." Roisin sighed, "Why must you always ruin everything, Abban? You're no fun at all!" She grumbled.

"Silence!" The master snarled, his green eyes flaring like an unnatural fire. "I've had enough of the both of you, get out!"

"Yes, My Lord!" They cried, as they fled from the room. Outside, the calico and the tabby glared at each other.

"This is all your fault!" Abban hissed.

"Is not! It's your fault! You depress him!" Roisin hissed back.

"Do not!" Abban growled

"Do too!" Roisin retorted.

It went on like that for a while.

It turns out that Roisin was right. What Abban had said did send their master into a deep pit of depression. He sat before his mirror at his vanity, his face clutched in his sharp clawed hands. Sighing heavily, he straitened himself and bravely looked into the mirror. _For a hundred years, I have been this way, neither man nor beast. How tired I've grown. Will you be the one to set me free, Aeveen? I hope for yes, but I fear not. _The master thought to himself as he glared at his changed reflection in the mirror, his cat's eyes burning bright through the unending dark.


	2. Chapter 2: Curses and Terrible Knights

Chapter 2: Curses and Terrible Knights

Aeveen jolted upright in her knew bed, wincing in pain. "Ow! Stop it you little goblin! Stop it!" She hissed against the pain.

"Meroaw!" said Roisin, awaking from where she'd been sleeping, curled up at Aeveen's feet.

Aeveen pet the calico's head, with a gentle smile. "It's alright. The baby's just kicking…really hard." She reassured the worried cat. "I'm going to walk around a little. I'll be back in a few minutes." She said, as she rose from the bed. She wrapped a wool blanket around her shoulders and headed for the door.

"Mrow!" Roisin protested, leaping from the bed and running after her.

"You don't have to go. I'm fine. You stay here." Aeveen reached down and stroked the cat's back. "Go back to sleep. I'll be right back."

Aeveen wandered through the castle halls, one hand keeping the blanket closed tight around her, the other, rubbing her belly in an attempt to sedate her thrashing child. "It feels like he's dancing." Aeveen laughed softly to herself. A pleasant smile graced her fair face. "I'm sorry, child. I didn't mean it when I called you a goblin, but you must stop kicking so hard. You're killing me."

"What are you doing out here?" Asked an unmistakable voice.

Aeveen turned slowly around to see the large man again, standing not six feet away from her. Again he'd appeared without any warning. He moved like a shadow, with unthinkable speed and silence, regardless of his great weight. She was beginning to think that there was far more to him, than she was seeing.

"The baby wouldn't let me sleep, so I decided to take a walk." She explained.

"What do you mean, the baby wouldn't let you sleep? It hasn't been born yet. I don't understand." He said, shrugging his wide shoulders.

Aeveen smiled as she rubbed her belly. "He's very happy right now. He's been dancing all night."

The master's shrouded head, tilted sideways, just like a curious cat. "What?" He asked in a confused tone.

The red haired beauty laughed lightly at the master' s gesture. She extended her hand with a smile, "Come here. I'll show you."

Almost timidly, he approached her. She took his large gloved hand and placed it on the swell of her stomach. At his touch, the child jumped within her. The beauty did not see, but the master's eyes were as wide as saucers in his astonishment. Both from having felt the baby move, and the fact that she'd let him touch her at all. Then again, she didn't know what he was yet.

"Did you feel that?" She giggled, lightly.

He gulped, "Yes." He then cleared his throat in embarrassment and quickly removed his hand. "Do you mind if I walk with you? Since we're both up."

"That would be nice. Thank you." She smiled. "Oh, I never got your name. What is it?" She asked, as they began to stroll.

"Kieran." He replied in his very low voice.

"Kieran. That's a nice name. It fits you." Said Aeveen.

"Thank you." He murmured. Well it was now or never, he couldn't be sure when he'd get her alone again. "I was wondering. Uh…where's the father of your child? Why aren't you with him?"

Aeveen at once, stopped walking and her once happy face wilted into sadness. She looked down at the floor, her lips curved downward into a frown. Kieran immediately knew he'd made a mistake. "I…don't want to talk about him. I…um…I think I'll go back to bed now. Please excuse me." She abruptly turned away and walked quickly back down the hall, her fiery curls flowing in the breeze that her quick movements created.

"Fool." Kieran growled at himself as he watched her leave.

The next morning, when Aeveen awoke, she had to knock eight cats off of her, in order to get up. "Were you making sure I didn't leave again?" Aeveen asked the suspicious looking Roisin, who just smiled back at her innocently.

Over a chair by the door, lay a beautiful deep blue dress with golden embellishments around the collar, below the bust, and the hem of the skirt. Aeveen gasped when she saw it. Her hands delicately touched the fine fabric it was made of. "Did…did your master lay this here?" She asked her servant. Roisin made a motion with her head that almost looked like a nod. Aeveen picked up the dress and held it up against her body. "How sweet. It's so beautiful." She said, grinning ear to ear.

Aeveen quickly put on the dress. It was perfect. A band of cold lay below her breasts, then the fabric fell away, leaving plenty of room for her baby bump. "I hope he's at breakfast." She whispered to herself, as she and Roisin made their way through the halls to the dining hall.

When they arrived, there was no Kieran, but there was dish upon dish of food, fresh from the oven, placed on the long table. "Look at this! There's enough food here to feed an army!" she gasped , taking a seat at the table. She looked around the room as she ate. Every few seconds at least one cat ran by her, or under the table. Roisin jumped up into the chair next to her and watched her eat. "I wish Kieran were here. I'd like to have someone to talk to besides cats. No offense, Roisin."

"Merrrow." Roisin replied.

"Are you enjoying your breakfast?"

Aeveen jumped, dropping her fork with a clatter. Her eyes shot towards the origin of the sound. There at the other end of the table, was Kieran, dressed in his black hooded cape and all black clothes. He stood there, silently, as if he'd been there the entire time. "How do you do that?" She asked, breathing heavily.

"Do what?" He asked, as if it were nothing peculiar about it.

"Appear out of nowhere. I never hear you coming."

"I…uh…have my ways. How's the food?" Asked Kieran, carefully changing the subject.

"It's very good. Why don't you eat with me. There's way too much just for me." She said, her hand motioning towards the seat next to her.

He let out a grunt and plopped down in the seat at the far end of the table. He wouldn't dare sit that close to her. She might get a good glimpse of what lay beneath his hood.

Aeveen ate the delicious food before her, but Kieran never took a bite. "Aren't you going to eat?" She asked.

"I'm not hungry. I already ate in my room." He grumbled.

"Oh…" She paused. "I wanted to thank you for this beautiful dress. I've never worn anything this grand." She smiled as she rose from her chair and spun around, so he could see how she looked in it.

_Why is she being so cruel? Teasing me like this. _Kieran groaned inwardly. It was a good thing, the fur that covered his face was pitch black, for it would be embarrassing if she could see his blushing face. Even with her baby belly, she was very beautiful and he would give anything to be able to tell her that. But how could he? He was a beast. "You're welcome." He mumbled.

Abban jumped up on the table and made a, "Hummf," noise at him, his eyes pleading with him to say something, anything at all.

Kieran, however, was long out of practice with speaking with women. Like a buffoon, he took one look at Aeveen and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "It looks good on you. The loose fabric hides your large belly."

Abban hissed angrily and leapt from the table.

Aeveen's face crumpled, her cheeks went red and she lowered her head. "Uh…thank you?" She stuttered. She had been hurt by his comment, but didn't want to show it.

Seeing her distressed expression, Kieran wanted to punch himself in the mouth. "I…I didn't mean it like that. I…" His tongue tumbled, looking for the right words to say.

"I …think I'll go out for a walk." Aeveen said, walking quickly out into the courtyard.

Kieran watched as she left, his heart racing. "Idiot!" He roared, swiping his powerful arm over the table, knocking dishes and glasses and food off the table, scattering it across the floor and splattering food on the walls.

"What are you doing?" Asked Abban.

"Go after her!" Roisin chimed in.

"Apologize." Abban and Roisin said together, their cat faces stern.

"I know." Kieran sighed. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and went out into the cold morning air. At first, he followed a good distance away from her, afraid to get too close. He watched her as she walked around the rose covered statues. She delicately brushed her fingertips on the soft petals of a large blossom. She sniffed the sweet perfume, her nose buried in the rose's core. A long red curl fell across her cheek. How Kieran wished he could brush that stray curl away from that soft cheek, run his fingers through her scarlet mane, and tell her just how beautiful she was. And yet, he dared not, for he was, as I have said before, a beast.

"Kieran?" Called Aeveen's sweet feminine voice.

Kieran snapped abruptly out of his thoughts. Aeveen stood by a statute of an angel, it's hand outstretched. She clutched that hand, as if she wished to fly away with her. Her pale blue eyes watched him, curiously, her Rosie lips were parted slightly. He made sure his cloak was secure, before approaching her.

"I came to apologize for what I said at breakfast." He boomed. "I didn't mean to upset you. I am…unaccustomed to women." He explained in his unnaturally deep voice.

Aeveen smiled slightly. "Apology accepted." She laughed lightly.

"Good. I'll see you later then." Kieran said, turning to run back to his tower.

"Wait." Aeveen protested, grabbing his cloak.

The hood fell away, revealing what lay beneath. Kieran stopped, he'd been caught off guard by her touch. He looked back at her with wide green eyes, his pupils shrinking into just slivers of black. For a moment everything stilled, there were no singing songbirds, no meowing cats, no rustling of rose petals in the wind. The only thing that was, was the two of them. This soon to be mother with the saintly heart and haunting blue eyes, and this beast in man's clothing.

She released his cloak and backed slowly away from him, one hand covered her mouth, which was agape in horror. Her eyes were round and her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What are you?" She gasped. Her free hand shot to her stomach. She held her belly, protectively, as if she could somehow shield the child within her from what she was seeing.

He couldn't take the fear in her eyes. What a fool he'd been to think, that she'd be different. Such a fool. Throwing himself on all fours, he ran from the courtyard, his cloak billowed behind him in the wind like wings.

Kieran stared into the writhing flames, their torturous light reflecting in his eyes. "It's hopeless." He sighed.

"No. We can't give up!" Roisin cried. She desperately rubbed her side against her master's legs, trying to lift his spirits.

"Face it. This spell was never meant to be broken. I'm sorry, but it's true. We'll never be free." He said, miserably.

Roisin shot Abban a pleading look, but he just shook his head sadly at her. A heartbreaking chorus erupted from the swarm of servants that had congregated around their master. All these years, they had held on to a small splinter of hope, but at his words, that hope slipped away. Now their hearts broke for the lives they'd never live again.

"I don't know his name."

Kieran spun around, to see Aiveen making her way, slowly, through the mob. "What?" He asked her. He was amazed that she had not run away the moment she'd seen what he'd become.

"My father's child. I don't know his name. I know his face, the sound of his wretched voice, and that he is a knight. That's all I know about him. I had gone out to the pasture where we keep our sheep, to take my father his lunch. As I was walking down the road that led back to the village, a knight on horseback came by. He asked me to lead him to the inn. I thought nothing of it. A lot of travelers pass through my village, on their way to the larger towns, by the coast. I agreed to take him there." Her eyes began to spill over with angry tears, her shoulders shook as she sobbed, "I didn't start feeling uncomfortable until he got off his horse. Suddenly he grabbed me and held his sword against my throat. He told me not to scream, or he would kill me. He forced me into a wooded area, just off the path. And he…he." She burst into tears and was unable to finish that sentence. "He was a knight. Who wouldn't have trusted him?" she croaked.

"Why would your parents be shamed if you were raped? Surely they didn't hold what happened against you?" asked Kieran.

Aeveen shook her head, her lips trembling as she tried to stop crying. "I never told them what happened. I was too afraid. Before he let me go, the knight had told me that if I ever told someone what he'd done, that he'd come back. I didn't dare risk it. I'd rather flee my village in shame, than put my family in danger." She wiped her tear stained face with her sleeve.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Kieran, his whiskers flinching with curiosity.

Aeveen came even closer to him, so that they stood face to face, before the fire. "It seems we both held secrets. You have graciously given me a place to stay, a bed to sleep in, and food in my belly, and yet I dared to keep this dark secret from you. You're my friend. You deserve to know."

"You're not afraid of me?" He asked, his green eyes narrowing slightly.

"I fear my child's father, far more than you." She replied, looking down at her stomach.

"Then I will explain why I am the way I am." Said Kieran in a low voice.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to. I imagine it's a difficult thing for you to talk about." She said, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

"I don't think what you have said tonight was any easier. Besides, you deserve to know." Kieran took a deep breath and began his tale of misfortune. "I was not always a beast. No, I was once a man. I was king of this land. I had all the power in the world, but I was cruel. I cared for nothing and no one. One night, during a storm much like the one that brought you to us, a black cat appeared at the castle door. I always hated animals so I sent my guards to dispose to the filthy creature. But before the guards could slay it, it took it's true form. The cat had not been a cat at all, but a very powerful witch. Disgusted by my heartlessness, the witch placed a curse on this castle and all that inhabited it. All of my subjects became cats and she transformed me into this …thing. Neither fully cat, nor fully man. She used her magic to separate my land from rest of the world. I cannot leave this place, in fact I can't go beyond the castle gates. The final act of her wicked curse is that I and my subjects are immortal. We can never die, so we must endure this curse through out eternity. Our punishment will never end."

"Is there anyway to break the curse?" asked Aeveen.

Kieran looked at her, unsure of whether or not he should tell her. There was one way. He must learn to love someone other than himself and have that person love him back and prove that love with a kiss. He decided against it. He didn't want her to kiss him because she felt obligated to do so. A kiss like that wouldn't work. "I doubt it." He replied, with a shrug of his powerful shoulders.


End file.
